NaLu Week 2k16
by Labyrinth Runner
Summary: Just my one-shots for NaLu week. Only day 6 is rated M
1. Longing

**Day 1 of NaLu Week: Longing**

* * *

Lucy hated this. She understood that they'd agreed to go on solo missions to get stronger, but she still didn't like it. She just wanted to be there with Natsu, not because he needed her or anything, but just because she wanted to make sure he was safe. She cared about him. Lucy stared out the train window as it pulled into Magnolia. She hoped he would be there when she got to the guild hall. If not, she was determined not to take any jobs until he got back. She was tired of this. They were like ships passing in the night, unable to see each other, but knowing the other was there at some point. She missed him by an hour last time, minutes the time before. She _wasn't_ going to miss him again. The train jerked to a stop and Lucy got off and started walking.

* * *

"Lucy, you're back!" Mira said with a smile as Lucy walked into the hall.

"And Natsu?" Lucy ventured.

"Just missed flame brain," Gray told her. Lucy sighed and sat down at the bar. Mira placed her usual milkshake in front of her, but Lucy shook her head.

"Got anything stronger?" Lucy asked. The guild gasped and looked at her. Cana made her way over to her and laid a hand on her forehead.

"Are you sick?" Cana asked. She then proceeded to pull Lucy's cheeks and slap them gently back in place.

"No, I'm fine," Lucy said as she pushed Cana's hands away from her face.

"You just ordered alcohol, are you _sure_ you're okay, Love Rival?" Juvia asked as she sat down next to her.

Lisanna motioned them all away and gave her a small glass of strawberry daiquiri. "You miss him," she simply told her. Lucy nodded.

"Have you told him how you feel?" Lisanna gently asked.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked with her brow furrowed.

"You _know_ , that you love him."

" _But I don-_ "

" _Yes, you do_. You don't miss Levy when she's away. Or Gray, or anyone else. Yet, when Natsu's gone, you don't really live," Lisanna told her as she rested her hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"If I'm not living, then what am I doing?"

"Going through the motions," Lisanna explained.

"I'm going to go home," Lucy sighed as she made her way out the guildhall.

* * *

Lucy walked through her front door, dropping her travel bag on her couch. She shuffled over to her bathroom and started a nice warm bath for herself. While the water was running, she went to get herself a book to read while she soaked. Then, she peeled away her clothes and sunk down into the water, letting it wash away all of her aches and pains. However, the one ache it couldn't seem to get rid of was the one for her best friend. Lucy sighed and put her book down on the floor before sinking all the way down into the water, effectively submerging herself. She didn't emerge again until her lungs burned from the strain of holding her breath. Lucy was gasping for air, but she didn't care. What Lisanna said stuck with her. She needed to see if she was still living. Lucy frowned and unplugged her tub. She felt the water slowly drain around her before getting out.

* * *

She dried herself off and put on a nightgown before crawling into bed early. She didn't feel like staying up any longer. She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, but instead, she just found herself thinking of him. Tears started to spill from her eyes as sobs wracked her body. She hadn't seen him in months. She was crying so hard that she didn't hear the window open or hear the footsteps racing towards her in the dark. She was alerted of the presence when two strong arms scooped her up and held her against an equally strong chest.

"Shhh, Luce, what's wrong?" Natsu asked as he tried to sooth her. He ran his hand through her hair like she'd do for him when he was sick.

"Natsu," she whispered as she hugged him tightly and buried her face in his chest.

"Luce, what's wrong?"

"I missed you," she murmured against his chest.

"I missed you, too," he told her as he sighed. He held her tighter.

" _Please, don't leave_ ," Lucy begged him.

"I don't plan on leavin' again unless it's with you. Luce, look at me," Natsu told her as his hands cupped her face. He used his thumbs to brush away the last of her tears.

"Really?" she asked hopefully.

"Lucy, I learned something through this whole thing. I don't ever want to worry about what you're doing or if you're safe while knowing that if you weren't I wouldn't know. I don't like not knowing. I hate it. I hated that every mission took me further away from you. The biggest thing I learned, is that I love you," Natsu told her. Lucy's eyes widened as she took in what he was saying.

"I love you, too," she told him. Natsu broke into a wide grin before pulling her face towards him and crashing his lips against hers. It was a hungry kiss, full of longing and need. Lucy kissed back with everything she had. She wanted him to know how she felt without him these past few months. Her hands slid into his hair as the kiss deepened. Eventually, they broke apart to catch their breath. Lucy yawned. Natsu chuckled and ruffled her hair before pulling her under the covers with him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest.

"Good night, Luce," he whispered before placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Good night, Natsu," she told him as she laced her fingers with his.


	2. Reunion

**Day 2 of NaLu Week: Reunion**

* * *

Lucy was fidgeting in the cab on her way to her old high school. She hadn't been back to Fairy Tail High since she graduated 10 years ago. Now, here she was at the age of 28, finding her way back to the place that started it all. She honestly didn't know why she was even going. Levy had talked her into going, saying that she'd regret not going and there was more to life than watching Netflix with her dog, Plue. Lucy had wanted to say no, but she knew her friend was right. Besides, she was curious as to how everyone had changed after high school. Sure she had kept in touch with most of them. She and Levy had been roommates in college and now worked together for the Magnolia Times. Lucy was a head journalist and Levy was the editor. They also worked together as freelancers for a nearby publishing company when they had the time. Erza stopped by from time to time when she was in town. Her work as a professional stuntwoman left her travelling almost constantly with her husband Jellal, a slightly illusive actor that was in high demand. Lucy had to admit that he played a really good villain. Then there was Juvia, who finally got Gray to marry her after their trip to Niagara Falls two years ago. Even Levy ended up with the quarterback from their high school's rival, Phantom Lord, after they had a couple of classes together at the university. Lucy had made it a point to keep in touch.

That's why she wasn't exactly convinced she needed to go to this 10 year reunion. Yet, here she was in a cab heading back to the school that basically took her in after she left private school. She had been so worried that she wouldn't be able to make friends since everyone would already have their cliques that they grew up with. Lucy didn't think she would have fit in. Then, on her first day, some pink haired idiot set off a chain reaction that would change her life. She had been walking to the library when some hot shot senior started hitting on her and this guy random knocks her off her feet, literally. After hearing the rumors about the senior guy being a player, she decided to buy her savior lunch and became friends with him. _Natsu_. That was why she was going to this reunion. She wanted to see her best friend from high school for the first time in 10 years. She hadn't expected to lose contact with him. He just traveled so much after high school. He took an indefinite gap year to search for his biological father. Lucy ended up breaking her phone at a party freshman year, causing her to get a new one. She lost a lot of numbers, including his. Since then, they hadn't talked. Part of her hoped he found his dad and hadn't been lonely on his travels. He deserved to meet someone to keep him company on those long, lonely nights on the road. The other part of her hoped he still hadn't found that special someone. Lucy had realized after she lost his number, that she had wanted to be that person to Natsu. She loved him then, and she loved him now. Which is precisely why none of the dates Mirajane Strauss set her up on ever worked out. She'd always compare them to Natsu and realize that they weren't the pink haired idiot she was looking for, nor could they replace him. Lucy sighed as the cab pulled to a stop outside the gymnasium's entrance. She got out and smoothed her dress down before making her way up the stairs to the doors. She took a deep breath before plunging into to 10 years worth of memories and experiences, bringing herself back to a simpler time that made her wish she had made better decisions along the way.

* * *

"Lu-chan!" Levy called from her table. She bounded up to her friend and dragged her over with Gajeel.

"Levy, you literally saw me two hours ago when you helped me buy this outfit," Lucy chuckled.

"I know, but Juvia and Gray are too busy being all lovey-dovey in the corner. Be careful, if you ask about their kids they'll bring out a photo album," Levy warned.

"Good to know," Lucy said as she pursed her lips, "I'm going to go get some punch."

"Alright, Lu-chan! We'll save you a seat," Levy told her. Lucy walked over to the punch on a nearby table.

"Well, Ms. Heartfilia, you haven't changed a bit," an older voice called out. Lucy smiled as she realized whom it belonged to.

"Principle Makarov, you're still working here?" Lucy asked as she turned to look at him.

"Unfortunately. I've got Macao's kid in this year's senior class. Can you believe it? That kid is almost as bad as Natsu was," Makarov said with a shake of his head, "Where is Natsu anyway? I'm sure he wouldn't let his lovely wife get her own drink."

Lucy choked on her punch. "Oh, no, Natsu and I aren't married," Lucy clarified.

"You're not? Darn, I always thought you two were made for each other. I guess I owe Professor Wakaba 20 bucks now. I don't suppose you've seen my grandson anywhere? His wife was nice enough to organize all this for us. Mira was definitely one of the better class presidents I've seen go through these halls," Makarov said wistfully.

"No, I haven't seen them," Lucy shifted awkwardly.

"Oh, well. Enjoy your reunion," Makarov said as he walked off. Lucy sighed as she walked back over to Levy and Gajeel who were currently arguing over the latest movie Jellal and Erza had been in.

"I'm tellin' ya, the last movie was _The Scarlet Sky_ ," Gajeel told his petite wife.

"And _I'M_ telling _YOU_ that it was _The Tower of Heaven_ ," Levy said as she poked her husband in the chest.

Lucy picked up her phone to search so that she could end this debate.

"Actually, you're _both_ wrong. Their last movie was the remake of _Grand Magic Games_ ," Lucy told them as she held her phone out for them to see. The three of them started to laugh.

"That was such a bad movie when it first came out," Levy chuckled.

"Definitely one of the worst movies we caught at the drive-in back when it was around," Gajeel agreed.

"Oh my gosh! The drive-ins! Remember when we used to go every other weekend because they had discounts for Fairy Tail only on those Saturdays?" Lucy said as she remembered all the movies she'd watched from Natsu's front seat.

"Did someone mention the drive-ins?" a voice asked as they approached the table.

"Erza!" Levy and Lucy chorused.

"Oh, I've missed you guys," Erza said as she hugged each of them in turn.

"We've been filming on location in Italy. I was worried we wouldn't wrap in time to make it back, but we really flew through it these last few weeks. To be honest, the drive-ins are what inspired me to pursue acting," Jellal said as he draped an arm around his lovely wife.

"I remember the first play you were in and you had such a bad case of stage fright," Levy teased.

"In my defense, live theatre is so much harder than film. With film you can go back and redo things, but with theatre it's a one-and-done thing. You can't fix it if you're in the middle of a performance," Jellal explained.

"True," Erza agreed.

"So where's Natsu?" Jellal asked Lucy as the couple took a seat at the table.

"Lu-chan hasn't spoken to Natsu since right after we graduated. Her guess is as good as yours," Levy told him. Jellal's face formed a small 'oh' as he understood the gravity of what Levy was saying.

Suddenly, the door to the gym burst open and a pink-haired man walked in with a shorter girl with white hair on his arm.

"Is that… Natsu with _Lisanna_?" Erza asked in shock. Lucy felt her heart rate quicken at the sight of her best friend. Levy waved him over to their table. His eyes lit up when he saw all of them over there. The only available seats were between Lucy and Gajeel so Natsu sat next to Lucy and Lisanna sat next to him.

"Natsu! How have you been?" Erza asked.

"I've been good," he told her with a smile. An uncomfortable feeling fell over the table as the tension between Lucy and Natsu settled around them all.

"I'm going to go get some more punch," Lucy said in an effort to escape from the awkwardness.

"I'll go with you," Natsu said as he followed her.

* * *

"Hey, Luce, how have ya been?" Natsu asked her with a lopsided grin as they reached the table.

"I've been okay," she mumbled as she poured herself a glass.

"Luce, _look at me_ ," he told her as he put her glass down on the table.

" _What_?" She demanded. He didn't say anything and instead just hugged her tightly.

"I've missed you," he whispered into her hair.

"Why? You've obviously got Lisanna," Lucy said as she gestured back towards the table.

"What are you talking about? She just wanted to see all of you again so she asked to be my date. She didn't have a ride since her sister had to be here so much earlier so that's why we came together," Natsu explained.

"Oh," Lucy said.

"Luce, I have not stopped thinking about you every single day since we stopped talking," Natsu told her.

"Then why didn't you call? Or text? Or try to see me?" Lucy questioned as she started to get mad.

"We had been arguing and then you never responded to my text so I just thought that you didn't want to hear from me anymore," Natsu told her.

"I broke my phone at a party and when I got it fixed, I lost all my contacts," she told him.

"How was I supposed to know?" Natsu defended.

"You're right," Lucy sighed. "So, did you ever find your father?"

"No. Well. Yes. I found his grave," Natsu murmured.

"Natsu, I'm so sorry," Lucy told him as she held his hand.

"I'm sorry about your dad, too. I read about it in the papers. I had wanted to go to the funeral but I was broke and out of the country at the time," Natsu apologized.

"It's okay."

" _No_ , _it's_ _not_. I'm your best friend and I let you slip through my fingers. I made you face the world alone after promising to never leave your side."

"Natsu, we were kids. We couldn't keep all our promises."

"Well, I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

"What are you saying?" Lucy asked in confusion. Natsu picked something out of his pocket and got down on one knee.

"Lucy Heartfilia, will you marry me?" He asked.

"Natsu? What are you doing?" Lucy asked frantically.

"I bought this ring the summer after we graduated. I was planning on asking you after you graduated because I knew how important your degree was to you, but then we lost touch, so I held onto this. I told myself that if I ever saw you again, that I'd ask you to marry me," Natsu simply stated.

"But… why?" Lucy asked still bewildered.

"Because, I love ya, Luce. Always have, always will. You're the one thing that kept me going all those years after I found out about my dad. I knew that I had to get home to you," Natsu told her as he stood up and cupped her face, "So, what do you say?"

"It's been ten years, Natsu. I've changed," she whispered.

"So what? You're still a weirdo from what I've heard. Besides, we don't have to get married right away. We can spend however long you want getting to know each other…" Natsu trailed off as he searched her eyes.

"No."

"No?" His grin started to falter.

"No, I don't want to wait. I've been waiting for you for ten years. I don't think I could handle waiting anymore," Lucy said as she started to cry. Natsu broke into a beaming smile as he slipped the ring on her finger. The small heart-shaped ruby looked perfect on her slender finger.

"Luce, I love you," Natsu said as he leaned his head against her forehead.

"I love you, too," she told him before pressing her lips against his. It was a kiss ten years in the making, one of longing and hope. It was a promise, a promise that no matter what, they'd never leave each other again.


	3. Admiration

**Day 3 of NaLu Week: Admiration**

* * *

Lucy was lost in thought again. It really wasn't her fault though. She had decided to go to this renaissance fair with her friend Levy since they both had really gotten into Merlin. That is precisely how she found herself here on a Saturday at King Igneel's Fair. She had wandered around for a bit, having lost Levy to the blacksmith's tent after they had thoroughly made a dent in the script shop. Lucy herself had gotten a new notebook to write in. Levy had gotten a book full of ancient texts. Lucy never pegged Levy as a sword person, but then again, she had never pegged Levy to be into piercings either. Yet, there Levy was flirting with the blacksmith as he worked. Lucy had to admit that he did have really nice biceps, but the studded face wasn't something she herself was into. Lucy suddenly collided into something hard, falling to the ground from impact.

"Hey, watch it, Princess!" Some guy said to her.

"Hey, Jerk, maybe you should be more careful," another voice ridiculed the man. Lucy took the hand that was offered to her and stood up, brushing the leaves off her dress.

"Ya do look like a princess," her savior said. Lucy looked up to see that he was a pink haired boy, around her age, and he was dressed in the typical renaissance fashion, except he didn't have a shirt on underneath his vest.

"And you look perfectly rogue-ish," she teased. She looked down at her light blue dress. The sleeves were wide and in style. A silver chain belt was hanging around her hips.

"You're missing something though," the man said thoughtfully. Then he snapped his fingers as an idea hit him. "Wait here." He ran off further into the woods. Lucy was about to leave when she saw him running back.

"Here," he said as he placed something on her head. Lucy reached up to take it off. It was a blue flower crown.

"Thank you," she whispered as she caressed the flowers, "It's beautiful."

"Well, what's a princess without a crown?" the boy said with a toothy grin. In the distance they heard a gong sound.

"Crap! I gotta go. They'll be look for me. Nice meetin' ya, Princess," he said as he sprinted off again. Lucy was too in shock to stop him.

"That was weird," she said to herself as she put the flower crown back on. She checked the time on her phone. She still had another hour before she was supposed to meet Levy for lunch. Levy kept telling her that she absolutely needed to eat a turkey leg since " _it doesn't get any more renaissance than that_." Lucy noticed something nailed to a nearby tree that looked like a schedule.

"Fire breather, 11 am, Fairy Tail Stage," Lucy read aloud.

"That's supposed to be pretty interesting," someone said next to her, "But the ice sculptor is better." Lucy turned to see a black haired boy standing next to her.

"The ice sculptor isn't until 1pm though," Lucy said.

"True. You should still go," he told her.

"I'll see if Levy wants to go," Lucy said before walking off towards the Fire Breather show. Luckily, the show hadn't started yet, but she still ended up with a seat furthest away from the stage. Lucy sighed as she directed her attention towards the stage. Suddenly, there was a blast on stage. Out of the explosion stepped a boy. A certain pink-haired boy to be exact. Lucy's jaw dropped as the boy that gave her the flower crown took center stage.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, prepare to be amazed by the great and powerful Salamander!" a voice on the loud speaker said.

"They said he was trained by dragons," someone whispered from near Lucy.

"Sure, and my mom was a mermaid," the person's companion muttered.

"Oi! Who's ready to see me eat fire?" The boy said. The crowd cheered in response.

"Oh, I don't know, that didn't sound very enthusiastic. I said, 'WHO'S READY TO SEE ME BREATH FIRE?'" The boy tried again. The crowd went wild.

"Alright, that's better. Nice to know you're all awake. Now, I have to tell you all not to try this at home. Somethin' about a possible lawsuit if I don't say that," he told the crowd. They laughed in response.

"No, I'm serious! Not everyone can do this. If you're not careful, you could burn down your house and have to join the renaissance fair, like me," He chuckled as he pointed at himself, "Alright! Let's get this started!" The boy went over to the side of the stage and picked up a match. "I'm gonna need a volunteer," he said as he looked out into the crowd. A whole bunch of hands shot into the air, but he ignored them. Then, he locked eyes with Lucy and smiled.

" _Please don't pick me_ ," Lucy whispered.

"Princess, in the back! Come on up!" he called. Lucy just shook her head.

"Alright guys, looks like she needs some convincing. Join in with me. _Prin-cess! Prin-cess_!" He started cheering. The crowd joined in, but Lucy didn't budge. With a shake of the head, the Salamander jumped down off the stage and walked down the aisle between the seats towards her. He reached his hand out to Lucy and gave her a small smile. With a bit of trepidation, Lucy placed her hand in his. As his fingers curled around her slender hand, his grin grew wider. He led her back to the stage and jumped up. When he motioned for Lucy to follow she shook her head.

"It's too high," she told him. Salamander sighed and jumped back down.

"Do you trust me?" he asked her.

"I just met you."

"Yes, but you can choose to trust me."

"I…don't know."

"I won't make you do anything that would hurt you," he promised her.

"Okay," Lucy whispered. The Salamander then proceeded to pick Lucy up bridal style and leap onto the stage. He and Lucy were drowning in each other's eyes, but the wolf whistles from the crowd brought them back to the here and now. He gently placed her down and turned out to face the audience.

"Alright, who's ready to get the show goin'?" He called. The crowd cheered again.

"What's your name, princess?" he asked the blushing blonde beside him.

"Lucy," she told him.

"Let's give a warm welcome to Lucy!" he cheered. A round of applause followed. The Salamander walked over to the side and picked up a bucket of water and a couple of torches. After getting those he walked back over to Lucy. He placed the bucket down and handed her the torches. He then proceeded to take off his vest and throw it to the ground, earning him some catcalls and whistles.

"So what did you need me for?" Lucy asked him.

"You're gonna light me on fire," he told her.

"WHAT!" she yelled.

"Shhhh not so loud. I want you to take one of these matches and light my hands on fire," he told her as he produced a matchbook from his pocket.

"If you say so…." Lucy mumbled while taking the matches from him.

"For my first trick, I will have my lovely assistant, Lucy, light my hands on fire and then I will eat it," He told the crowd. Lucy then held the match on display before lighting it and touching it to his hands. A flame began to spread over his hands.

"I-it's not supposed to do that," Lucy whispered in fear. He just winked at her before putting his hands to his face and swallowing the flame. The audience clapped. He then took a torch from Lucy's hands.

"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" He yelled before breathing fire and lighting the torch. He then lit the other torches on fire and juggled them before then eating the flames. He performed a myriad of tricks for the next 20 minutes before turning to Lucy.

"For my final trick, I will teach my assistant how to hold fire," he told her.

"I couldn't possibly do that!" Lucy said as she vehemently shook her head.

"What did I tell you earlier?" He asked as he took her hands and looked into her eyes.

"That you wouldn't make me do anything that'd hurt me."

"Exactly," he said gently. Lucy hadn't noticed that he'd been rubbing special cream on her hands as he held them.

"I will now light her hands on fire," He said loudly to the crowd as he lit a match. He gently tipped the flame towards her hands. She cupped her hands together to hold them together as she turned to face the crowd. The crowd went wild. He looked at her with budding admiration. The Salamander then brought her hands to his face and sucked in the flames before turning her hands over to kiss her knuckles.

"Let's give another round of applause to my lovely assistant, Luigi!" He called.

"It's Lucy," she corrected as he led her to the edge of the stage and placed her on the ground.

"Now, I know this may come as a shock to you all, but I'm fairly broke. So, if you liked the show, feel free to tell me with tips! I'll be at the end over there with my cat. Give me 5 dollars, I'll give you a high-five, give me a ten and you've made my day, give me a 20 or more _and I'll make your night_ ," he joked as he walked to the end of the seats with his cat bag. Audience members filed by, filling the hat with tips. Lucy hung back until the crowd had left before placing 30 dollars in his cat bag.

"So does this mean I get you for the rest of the night?" She smiled.

"If you want," he smiled back, "Let me just put this in my tent. Unless you want to come with me?"

"And see where the great Salamander sleeps? Count me in," she teased as she followed him to a hidden gate.

"It's Natsu, actually," he told her as he opened the gate for her.

"Well, Natsu, I enjoyed watching your show," she told him.

"Well thank you, Lucy, I enjoyed having you be a part of it," he told her as he led her through the tent city that was spread out before them.

"Do you always teach your volunteers how to hold fire?" she asked.

"Actually, I don't usually have volunteers. For whatever reason, I decided to break the habit today," he said thoughtfully as they stopped in front of a tent. He lifted the flap for her to enter.

"Wow, this is so cool!" she told him as she took in her surroundings. It was a large tent. There were two beds set up in the tent as well as various bits of furniture. If it weren't for the fact that she knew this was a tent, she would have thought of it as a small room.

"It would be great if I didn't have to share it with that ice bastard," he commented.

"Who?"

"Gray. He's the stripper that makes ice sculptures," he explained.

"Does he have black hair?"

"Yep. You see him?"

"I think so," Lucy told him as she thought about the guy from earlier. Natsu sat down on the bed and put his cat bag in one of his drawers.

"So, what brought you to the fair?" he asked her.

"Levy and I got into Merlin and we wanted to see a real renaissance fair," she told him.

" I LOVE THAT SHOW!"

"Me too! Shoot! What time is it?" Lucy asked as she scrambled for her phone.

"Noon. Why?"

"I have to go meet Levy for lunch!" She told him as she ran out of the tent.

"Wait!" Natsu called as he ran out after her.

"Yes?" Lucy asked as she stopped and turned to face him. He stopped to late and ended up pushing her against the wooden fence that stretched around the fair grounds, separating it from the tent city. Natsu locked eyes with her before letting his gaze fall to her lips. He realized where he was staring and brought his eyes back up to hers, but Lucy could see the pink on his cheeks.

"Do you want to hang out after the fair closes for the night?" he asked her.

"I'd love to," she told him as she licked her bottom lip.

"I can meet you out front after the parade," he whispered as his head dropped a bit towards her. She closed her eyes in anticipation. Then, she felt something hard hit her forehead. When she opened her eyes she saw his forehead resting against hers.

"I'll see you then," he told her before pulling back and opening the gate for her. She walked out and smiled, excited for their date later.


	4. Secrets

**Day 4 of NaLu Week: Secrets**

* * *

Lucy woke to find her bed empty, which was weird since her heater-like boyfriend was usually there to keep her warm during the cold winter mornings. Yet, now he was nowhere to be seen. She checked the time and saw that it was midnight. He should've been home by now, she thought. She was reluctant to shut her eyes, but sleep claimed her once more. When she woke the next time, she felt a weight crushing her against a warm wall. She smiled as she snuggled into her boyfriend's chest before realizing that she still didn't know where he was last night.

"Natsu," she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Where were you last night?"

"Out."

"Out where?"

"Don't worry about it, Luce," he mumbled into her hair. Lucy sat upright.

 _"You're not going to tell me?"_

"Nope."

"Well then, have a good day, Natsu Dragneel," she said as she climbed out of bed and headed off towards the shower.

"Luce, don't be like that," he said as he got up after her, but she slammed the door in his face.

"LUCE!" He yelled as he banged on the door. Lucy turned on the shower to drown out his voice. She let the water run down her body as she slid to the bottom. Why couldn't he just tell her where he was last night? He _never_ kept secrets. _Never_. In the years that they've been dating, they had never kept secrets from each other.

"You know what, Lucy Heartfilia, it's about time you stopped feeling sorry for yourself and got out of this shower before you turn into a prune," she told herself as she shut off the water. She dried herself off and hesitantly peeked around the corner of the door before seeing that the room was empty. She walked out, got dressed, and proceeded to her kitchen. She made herself some tea and oatmeal before noticing a note on her table.

"'Dear Luce- I'm sorry for upsetting you. I'll see you later for our date at Fairy Tail. Enjoy your day. Love, Natsu,'" she read. "Well at least he feels bad about lying to me." She went through the rest of the day in a blur. Her mind didn't really focus much on her story at work, and even Levy couldn't seem to get through the haze at lunch. Eventually, Lucy found herself getting ready for her date.

* * *

"Well, at least I look nice," she mumbled to herself as she looked in the mirror. She walked down to Fairy Tail to find her boyfriend waiting for her outside the doors.

"Hey, Luce," He said with a smile as he went to go kiss her. She turned her head so he kissed her cheek instead.

"I see you're still mad at me," he deadpanned.

"Well, how could I not be slightly annoyed at least? You _lied_ to me, Natsu," she told him.

"Okay, first of all, I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you where I was last night."

"You're not helping yourself at all right now," Lucy told him. Natsu winced, but held the door open for her to go inside. They sat down at a table away from everyone for once and ordered their food from Mira. The silence stretched on for hours.

"Luce, do you know what today is?" Natsu asked.

"Tuesday."

"No. Well, _yes_ , but no."

Lucy rolled her eyes, "What's today, Natsu?"

"It's our anniversary."

"No it isn't, our anniversary is in 3 weeks," she corrected him.

"It's the anniversary of when I met you in Hargeon," he told her.

"Oh…" Lucy said as she looked down, "you remembered that date?"

"Of course. How could I ever forget the day that you walked in and changed my life?" he asked her as he put his hand over hers, "and now, I want to remember this day for another reason."

"What reason?" Lucy asked as she snapped her head up to look at him.

Natsu moved so that he was kneeling in front of her and opened a small box with a heart-shaped red ruby. "Lucy Heartfilia, will you marry me?" he asked her. Lucy couldn't breathe. She sat there looking at him, kneeling in front of her, and felt tears start to sting her eyes.

"When did you…" she whispered.

"Last night. I was there for hours trying to find the right one," he told her as he picked the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes, that's a yes!" She cried as she flung her arms around his neck and crushed him in a hug. She pulled back and kissed him fiercely.

"Natsu, I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"Luce, it's okay. I hated not telling you the truth, especially when you stormed off into the shower, but this right now makes it all worth it. I'd do it all over again if it meant I get you. I love you," He told her.

"I love you, too," she replied. Maybe some secrets weren't so bad after all.


	5. Struggle

**Day 5 of NaLu Week: Struggle**

* * *

Lucy stared at her computer screen. Never in her life had she wanted to swing a bat against it more than she did right now. She had just written an entire three pages of writing when the program she had been using decided to glitch and she lost all her work.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Lucy screeched. She was on a strict deadline, and it was already hard enough to write those three pages as it is. She was having some major writer's block, so getting those three pages typed was the equivalent of pulling teeth and now they were gone. Lucy wanted to cry. She had never had this much of a struggle with her writing. Maybe she just needed to get out for a bit and meet new people, and she knew just who to call.

* * *

"Hey, Mira?" Lucy asked when the person on the other end of the line picked up the phone.

"Lucy? Is that you? What's up?" Her friend asked.

"Mira, I need you to set me up on a date," Lucy said before making sure the phone was nowhere near her ear.

"AWH, LUCY! ARE YOU FINALLY THINKING ABOUT LOVE?" Her friend yelled excitedly.

"Something like that," Lucy smiled.

"Tonight. Eight o'clock. Go to the Guildhall," Mira told her in a frenzy before saying a quick goodbye and handing up. Lucy chuckled at her friend's response. She just hoped that her date was every bit as promising as Mira made her blind dates out to be. Lucy looked over to the clock and saw that she still had six hours before her date and she needed a new dress. She slipped on a pair of flip-flops and grabbed her keys and purse before heading out the door. She was happy that her date was at the bar that her friends frequented at least.

* * *

Three hours of shopping later, Lucy finally settled on the perfect dress to wear. After buying it she went home and took a shower. As she stepped out of the shower, she wrapped her towel around herself and walked over to her computer to figure out what to do for make up. She towel dried her hair as she scrolled through ideas before settling on a simple smoky eye.

"Alright, Lucy, it doesn't look too hard," she said to herself as she got out her makeup kit and hair supplies. She decided to curl her hair tonight. It took her forever to brush it out before the curling commenced. After an hour, her hair and makeup were finally done and she slipped on her new dress. It was a sparkly dress with gray lace overlay. She slid on a pair of silver flats in case her date was on the shorter side and grabbed her clutch before heading out the door.

* * *

It took her half an hour to walk to the Guildhall, but she didn't mind. It was a beautiful night out and it let her use up some of the free time she had before her date arrived. When she got there, she was still 15 minutes early, so she headed over to a familiar white haired bartender working behind the bar.

"Lucy! What are you doing here so early? Your date isn't even here yet," Mira told her.

"Well, I wanted to get here early," Lucy told her.

"Yeah, yeah. Well, I'm not giving you any alcohol until after you see your date. That way you can decide whether or not you actually need it," Mira teased.

"I figured as much. Can I just have a cup of tea?" Lucy asked.

"Sure. Coming right up." The white haired girl disappeared for a couple of seconds before returning with a steaming cup of tea on a saucer.

"Thanks, Mira," Lucy smiled as she took the saucer.

"No problem," Mira told her, "Oh look! There's your date." Mira pointed past Lucy to whoever just walked in. Lucy turned to look where she was pointing. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Natsu! Over here!" Mira called. The pink haired man walked over to where they stood. The closer they got, the more the saucer shook in Lucy's hand. Eventually it was so loud that Mira and the man were staring.

"Here, you seem to be struggling," he said as he flashed a smile at her before taking the saucer from her hand and placing it back on the bar top.

"Natsu, this is Lucy. Lucy, this is Natsu," Mira told them, "You're each other's date. I'll let you two kids get to it then." With that, Mira disappeared to the other side of the bar.

"Well then, care to dance?" he asked her as he held his hand out. Lucy just nodded and gently placed her hand in his. She let him lead her to the dance floor before finally getting the nerve to talk to him.

"So, how do you know Mira?" she asked.

"We grew up together. How do you know her?"

"We were in the same sorority in college."

"That must have been fun. So, excuse me for asking, but why did you agree to go on a blind date? You hardly seem like the type to need any help in that department."

Lucy nervously laughed, "Well, you see. I'm writing a story and I got writer's block, so I figured I should do something to get inspiration."

"So a blind date is what you decided to do?" Natsu started to laugh.

"Well… yeah. I mean. I thought it might be fun and maybe I'd meet someone new that would actually stick around," Lucy murmured.

"What do you mean stick around?" Natsu instantly sobered.

"I don't have great luck with guys. My last boyfriend just kinda left a note on the table saying that we were over and disappeared. I woke up to find the note and all of his stuff gone," Lucy said as she looked down at the ground.

"I promise I'll never leave you," he told her.

"Isn't it a little too early to be making promises?" Lucy questioned.

"No. You're friends with Mira. That means you're part of my nakama. I don't leave nakama," he told her with sincerity. Lucy smiled at him and nodded.

"Hey, do you want to get out of here? Bars aren't exactly my scene and Mira is watching us like a hawk," Natsu suddenly said. Lucy glanced over her shoulder and sure enough, Mira was blatantly staring.

"Sure," she told him. Natsu took her hand and ran outside, dragging her behind him.

"Where are we going?" She asked him.

"You'll see," he smirked. Lucy didn't know if she liked that smirk, but something in her caused her to trust him.

"Okay," she smiled back.

* * *

Natsu stopped running and Lucy looked around to find that they were in a park full of cherry blossom trees.

"Natsu, it's beautiful," she said as she looked up at the trees.

"Yeah, it is," he said looking at Lucy instead. He was still holding her hand and slid his thumb over her knuckles.

"Natsu, why did you agree to this date?" Lucy asked as she turned to look at him, briefly glancing down at their hands.

"Well, you're going to laugh."

"Am not."

" _Fine_. Well. Gray's girlfriend dragged me to a fortune teller and she said that love would find a way into my life, and then my phone vibrates with a text from Mira telling me about a blind date," Natsu said as a blush crept up his face.

"So you think that love is me?" Lucy asked.

"I hope it is… Let's prove it!" He suddenly declared.

"How?"

"We'll go back to the fortune teller. If my fortune changed then that means it's you," he reasoned.

"I don't know…"

"Come on, Luigi!" He yelled as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder before running off towards the fortune teller's house.

"IT'S LUCY!"

* * *

Later that night, Lucy finally crawled into bed. She definitely had enough to write about in the morning. She could barely believe the events of the night. She turned over in bed and nearly screamed when she felt her body make contact with something warm.

"Luce, you're so loud. I'm trying to sleep," the voice mumbled.

"Natsu, what are you doing here?" she groaned.

"You heard the fortune teller."

"Yes and at no point did she say you were moving in with me."

"Well no, but the fortune changed."

"So you say."

"It used to be 'you'll meet your love.' Now it's 'Don't fuck up.'"

"So?"

"Lucy, you're my love."

"You're ridiculous."

"Can we sleep on it?"

"Sure," Lucy yawned as she cuddled into him. At least he was warm.

"Night, Luce," he said as he kissed her forehead.

"Night, Natsu."


	6. Climax

**Day 6 of NaLu Week: Climax**

 **Individual chapter rating is M. Be wary**

* * *

Natsu looked down at the blonde walking towards him. In a word, she was beautiful. No, that seemed inadequate to him. Words could not describe the ethereal creature walking towards him. She truly looked like a celestial goddess, and she was going to be his. She came to a stop in front of him, her white dress billowing around her as she stopped.

"You look…wow," Natsu told her as he took her hand in his.

Lucy chuckled at him as she looked up and down, her eyes trailing his suit, "You clean up nicely yourself."

"Ahem! If you two would stop flirting, we could get on with the ceremony," Macao said.

"Yeah! Save it for later. We all know what newlyweds do on their first night," Wakaba teased. Lucy blushed.

"HEY! We're trying to get married here, could ya try to be civil?" Natsu yelled at them.

"Natsu," Lucy gently said.

"Alright, Gramps, take it away."

"My dear children, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Natsu and Lucy," Makarov started.

"Bout time!" Cana shouted.

"As I was saying, we are gathered here to celebrate their marriage. Now, marriage is no easy feat. It will take a lot of work with each other. Marriage is sacred and you are here today to pledge the rest of your lives to one another. Now I understand that you two have prepared your own vows?" Makarov asked.

"We have," Lucy said.

"Then by all means, exchange them," Makarov advised. Natsu took Lucy's hand in his before looking into her eyes.

"Luce, you're my best friend. We've been together on countless missions, and I've learned a lot of things on those adventures. The most important thing that I've learned is that I love you. I don't know when it happened, but somewhere along the way I fell for a weirdo. A weirdo that I've almost lost time and time again, and I promise you that I will never lose you again. This vow is my promise to be there for you, to protect you and hold you close, to make sure that you never feel alone, even when you want to be alone," he paused to smile at her, "for better or for worse, Lucy Heartfilia, I take you to be my wife. You'll be part of Team Natsu for life."

"That's so dorky," Gray mumbled.

" _If it wasn't my wedding day, I would punch you_ ," Natsu replied without taking his eyes off Lucy.

"Lucy, do you have your vows?" Makarov prompted.

Lucy nodded before starting, "Natsu Dragneel, you came into my life one day and turned my world upside down. You've saved me time and time again, and have always been there for me when I needed someone. Some people believe in love at first sight. I don't know if I agree with that, but I do know that a long time ago I fell in love with a pink haired pyromaniac. As cheesy as it sounds, you lit my heart on fire. You're my best friend, my partner, and my soulmate. I can honestly say I wouldn't want it any other way. I love you." Someone blew their nose obnoxiously into a tissue.

"Does someone have the rings?" Makarov asked.

"I do!" Wendy said as she walked towards them. Her foot caught on the rug that they laid out to lead to the front, causing her to fall.

"Wendy! Are you okay?" Lucy asked as she bent down to help her up.

"I'm okay, thanks. Here are the rings," Wendy said sheepishly as she held them out to them.

"Thanks, Wendy," Natsu said as he took them.

Lucy nervously reached out for Natsu's hand, sliding the ring onto his finger, "With this ring, I thee wed."

Natsu raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles before sliding the ring onto her slender finger. "With this ring, I thee wed," He grinned. He returned her hand back down to her side before resting his forehead on hers. They both smiled at each other.

"Alright, I now pronounce the two of you kids man and wife. You may kiss the bride," Makarov told them.

Natsu gently wrapped his arms around Lucy, smirking at her. She went up to go kiss him, but then he dipped her, causing her arms to circle around his neck. He chuckled before leaning his head down and kissing her. Wolf whistles and cheers flooded their ears, but they heard nothing as they focused on each other.

"Alright, let's party!" Cana yelled when Natsu helped Lucy stand back up.

* * *

The guild was set to party into the early hours of the morning, but Lucy and Natsu snuck out at ten pm. Natsu was running through the streets, dragging Lucy behind him.

"Natsu, slow down! I can't run in this dress," Lucy whined.

"Here, I can fix that," Natsu said as he stopped to face her. He smirked as he picked her up bridal style and ran the rest of the way back to her apartment.

* * *

"Well, Mrs. Dragneel, we're home," he smirked as he opened the door.

"Yes, Mr. Dragneel, we are," she smiled back as she followed him in, "can you do me a favor and unzip my dress? I want to change into something more comfortable."

"Sure," Natsu said as he spun Lucy so that her back was facing him. He gently plucked her veil from her hair, placing it on the couch. He then pulled the bow from her hair, letting it spill down around her shoulders. Natsu smoothed her hair over one of her shoulders before leaning down to kiss down her neck. After tracing his finger down her spine, he peppered kisses. His touch felt like flames dancing across her skin. Finally, his fingers found the zipper, he gently tugged it down all the way. Lucy let the dress slip off her body, allowing the material to pool at her feet. Slowly, she turned to look at her new husband. His eyes were darker than normal as he looked up and down her body.

Lucy's eyebrow rose as she took in his appearance, "You know, this is hardly fair. I'm in my underwear, and you, well you still have _at least_ three layers of clothes on."

"Oh? What would you like me to do about it, _Mrs. Dragneel_?"

"Well, for starters," Lucy said as she walked over to him.

"Yes?"

"This could come off," she murmured as she slid his suit jacket from his shoulders.

"Just my jacket?" he smirked.

"I did say for starters, didn't I?" she teased back as she started to unbutton his vest before sliding it off his shoulders.

" _Anything else ya want, Mrs. Dragneel_?"

"You," she smirked as she pulled him closer to her level by his tie.

"Aye, Sir!" He said before crashing his lips to hers. He kissed her hungrily as her fingers worked to slip the buttons out of the holes. Her hands were in a frenzy as she worked to tug his shirt up from where it was tucked in and slide it from his shoulders. Her hands smoothed over his chest as she pulled away to look up at him.

"What did they say earlier about what newlyweds did on their wedding night?" Lucy teased.

"I don't know, what did they say, Mrs. Dragneel?" he asked as he bent down to kiss her neck. His hands grabbed her waist.

"Well. They implied that we'd be doing _things_ ," Lucy said as she blushed, suddenly losing her nerve.

"Well, aren't we doing _things_?" he mumbled against her skin.

"But they meant _certain things_ ," she tried again.

"Oh? Like this?" Natsu smirked as his hand trailed down to brush over her underwear.

Lucy sucked in a breath, "Yeah, like that."

Natsu stood up and smiled at her before scooping her up and taking her over to the bed.

"Natsu, what are you doing?" Lucy asked as he plopped her down.

" _Things_ ," he teased as he started to undo his belt. Abruptly, he stopped, "Unless you don't want to."

"No, no, I want to," Lucy insisted in a rush. "I really, _really_ want to," she said as she went up on her knees. She began kissing up his chest from his navel up to his neck before gently biting his pulse point.

"Luce," Natsu ground out as he felt her hands take over where his had stopped. She slowly slipped his belt from his pants and let it fall to the ground. The buckle made a small sound as it hit. Then, with a deftness only she seemed to possess at the task, she undid his pants and divested him of those as well. He slipped out of his shoes and socks before pushing her back onto the bed.

"Natsu," she gasped as he licked her neck before gently nibbling here and there. His hands didn't know where to go, so he rested them on her hips. Lucy stopped him.

"Natsu, are you afraid to touch me?" she asked.

"I'm touchin' ya now, aren't I?"

"No, I mean, are you afraid to _touch_ me?" Lucy asked again as she moved his right hand up to cup her breast. "I'm your wife Natsu, you shouldn't have to be afraid to touch me like this. You've done it before."

"But that was an accident, and you slapped me afterwards," he replied.

"This is different," Lucy reassured him before kissing him, "Touch me. I'm yours."

Lucy felt Natsu hesitantly squeeze her breast before smirking at her.

"There's a bra in the way," he told her as his hands wrapped around her back and unclasped her bra. It slipped down her shoulders. Natsu pulled it off and threw it to the ground before turning back to look at his wife who was trying to cover herself with her hands.

"Luce, you are beautiful," he said as he removed her hands. He kissed one of the mounds and squeezed the other. His hands were rough, but Lucy liked it. She could feel herself arching into his hand and mouth. Natsu grinned up at her before sucking on the breast he had kissed.

"Ahh, Natsu," Lucy moaned. His teeth latched onto her nipple, gently tugging it. Natsu kissed back up to her face before holding her face and kissing her deeply.

"Yes, Luce?"

"I want you."

"I'm already yours," he chuckled.

"No," she whined. "I _WANT_ you," she tried again as she wrapped her legs around his torso, pulling him flush against her. Natsu gasped at the feel of their skin touching. It was like fire igniting across them wherever they made contact. Lucy started to push at the band of his underwear with her heels.

"Are ya tryin' to tell me somethin'?" He teased.

"Take them off," she ordered.

"Aye, Sir," he smiled as he obeyed, "but what about yours?"

Lucy rolled her eyes as she unwrapped her legs from him and slid the underwear down over her hips before tossing them onto the floor. Natsu ran his hands up her legs to rest on her waist as he settled between her legs.

"Luce, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Natsu, we're married. Of course I want to," she chuckled.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair.

"I love you, too," she said as she kissed his cheek.

"It's going to hurt."

"I trust you," she smiled at him. He nodded before slowly thrusting into her wet folds. Lucy let out a small yelp of pain before biting down on her lip.

"Luce, are you okay? I can stop if you want," Natsu said as he looked up at her with concerned eyes.

Lucy closed her eyes and shook her head, "No, keep going, I'll get used to it."

"Okay," he murmured. Natsu slowly pulled back out before thrusting back in. He did this a couple more times before picking up the pace.

"Luce, you feel so good," he moaned.

"So do you," she said, "it doesn't really hurt anymore."

"Good. I don't like the thought of me hurting ya," he smiled at her before claiming her lips with his. As they kissed, he quickly pumped into her, his hands sliding down to hook behind her knees to wrap them around him. The new angle allowed him to go deeper, causing Lucy to scream his name. Natsu quickly stopped.

"Luce, are you okay?" he asked with worry.

"I'm great. Do it again," she smirked.

"Okay…" he said before pulling out and hitting the same spot again.

"That felt amazing," Lucy gasped. It was all the encouragement he needed. He copied the motions again and again. Lucy could feel her pleasure building. Her hips were bucking to meet with his.

"God, Luce, you're so tight," Natsu groaned as he sped up, thrusting harder and faster. Lucy could feel her walls start to clench around him. She was extremely close.

"Natsu, I'm so close," she moaned. Then, she went over. Her back arched as her walls spasmed, bringing about her climax.

"Luce, I'm gonna-" he started, but never finished. His eyes shut tight as he found his release. He collapsed on top of Lucy, sweat glistening across their skin.

"I love you, Mrs. Dragneel," he said before kissing her forehead.

"I love you, too, Mr. Dragneel," she replied as he pulled out completely. He pulled the blankets up around them before pulling Lucy into his chest, effectively spooning her.

"Goodnight, wife," he smiled.

"Goodnight, husband," she whispered. Sleep quickly claimed them, the events of the day taking their toll. However, both could agree that it was one of the best days of their life.


	7. The End

**Day 7 of NaLu Week: The End**

 **Trigger warnings: Death**

* * *

Lucy looked at the book in her hands. The book of END. The book of her friend, the book of the love of her life.

"What do you want me to do with this?" She asked Natsu with as much control in her voice as she could muster.

"I need you to do what you do best: _write_ ," he told her.

"Write _what_?" She asked with panic rising in her chest.

"Luce, I need ya to write the ending," he told her as he caressed her cheek.

"Natsu, I _can't_. _What would that do to you_?" She whispered.

"Don't worry about me. Worry about Zeref. I'm the only demon he has left. If I go, he goes. He's my brother. We're linked together," Natsu told her. Lucy started to cry.

" _Please, Natsu, I'm begging you, don't make me do this_ ," she sobbed.

"Luce, look at me," he said as he held her face to make her look at him, "you need to do this. You have to for Fairy Tail. You all need to live." He gently shook her.

"Natsu, it's not living if I don't have you," she whispered.

"Lucy, you'll always have me. I'll be right here," he told her as he put his hand over her heart.

Suddenly, the wall to the room they were in splintered and broke apart in an explosion. As the smoke cleared, a dark figure made its way through the fallen rubble to stand in front of them.

"I believe you have something that belongs to me," he said.

"Zeref, it's my book, so I think it's mine," Natsu shot back.

"My dear brother, you couldn't end my life earlier, what makes you think that you have the power to stand up to me now?" Zeref taunted.

"Because I have my family to fight for. I won't let you hurt them!"

"Oh, really?" Zeref said as he raised his hand towards Lucy, "Death Pillar."

"NO," Natsu yelled out as he ran to shield Lucy. He barely made it, his fire mixing with Zeref's magic. Neither one really winning the battle of strength.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled as she took in the scene. She needed to stop this. She needed to do something.

" _Lucy, finish the story,_ " Natsu told her.

"I told you, I _can't_!" She cried.

"Lucy, I told you, you have to do this. For Fairy Tail, for Fiore, _please_ ," Natsu begged.

"Fine!" She yelled while rubbing her tears away. She sniffled as she pulled out a pen. _How could she do this?_ With slight trepidation, she opened the book, but to her dismay, it was blank.

"Natsu! There's nothing in it!" She yelled.

"So write somethin'! I'll hold him off."

Lucy looked at the page with trepidation before she started to speak while she wrote, "Once upon a time, in the magical kingdom of Fiore, there lived a Princess. She was a lonely Princess, but that all changed the day she met the demon, END. The Princess became friends with the demon, they did everything together. She even learned to love the demon.".

Natsu's eyes went wide as he fought Zeref, "You love me?"

"More than you could ever know," Lucy whispered, however with Natsu's hearing, he heard just fine. He began to fight back harder.

"Keep going, Luce!"

"The Princess and the Demon were happy until the day that the Demon's creator came back into their lives. He threatened to take it all away. He was unbeatable, or so they thought. The only way to defeat the creator was to defeat the demons he created. The Princess, Demon, and their friends had defeated all of the other Demons but one. They didn't know that their friend was a demon. But when they learned the truth, they considered letting the creator live. However, the Creator had evil intentions and wanted to destroy the world. He had to be stopped. No matter what cost, even if that meant the Princess letting go of her love," tears were freely streaming down Lucy's face now.

"You're doing great, Lucy. "

"The demon fought the creator, throwing back his scarf that had saved him once before. He knew he was going to die, but he did it anyways. The demon was a hero, a prince in disguise. He was going to save the world."

Natsu threw his scarf towards Lucy, "Keep it safe, will ya?"

Lucy nodded as she sobbed, "The Demon let the Creator's magic hit him. He breathed it in, absorbing it all." Natsu let the magic envelope him, the black air suffocating his lungs.

"You fool! How are you supposed to beat me if you're dead?" Zeref asked.

"If I die, you die, too," Natsu declared.

"Good. Then killing you will bring me pleasure because my existence will come to an end," he said as he threw more power at Natsu. Lucy noticed that Zeref was starting to break apart as Natsu suffocated.

"Lu-cy," Natsu choked out. Lucy ran to his side and held his hand.

"Yes?" she asked. Tears were streaming down the sides of her face as Natsu's hand reached up to wipe them away.

"I knew you could do it," He smiled at her, causing her to cry harder. Lucy could see he was struggling to hold on.

"Please don't leave me," she whispered.

"I…always….loved you," he said with his last breath. His hand fell limply from her face.

"Natsu? NATSU!" Lucy sobbed over his body. The book in her hands started to shimmer and fade away as she scrambled to write one last thing.

"The Princess thought that she was going to lose him for good, but the power of the One Magic saved him, bringing him back to her," she frantically scrawled. As she finished writing the last letter, the book disappeared from existence. She looked over at Natsu, for anything, for a sign, for him to smile at her, but nothing came.

Lucy swallowed.

"And I will always love you," she whispered before gently leaning down to kiss his lips. She pulled away, wiping at her eyes before getting up to walk out of the room.

"Wow, Luce, way to leave a guy for dead," a voice came from behind her.

"Na-tsu?" She asked.

"Yeah," he nervously laughed, "I don't know how, but I'm still here." He scratched the back of his neck.

" _One Magic_ ," she whispered in awe.

"One Magic?"

"The power of love. Mom was right," she told him.

"Love? It's gotta be pretty strong to work, right?"

"I guess so," Lucy responded with a blush.

"Hey, Luce?" Natsu said as he tilted her chin up to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"Our love beat death," Natsu grinned at her, "I'm pretty sure that means it's about time I did this." Natsu's hands cupped either side of her face before he leaned down to kiss her. It started as a gentle kiss, but then became a passionate one.

"Natsu Dragneel, you better not put me through that hell again," she told him.

"Don't worry, I'm never letting you go again. That's a promise," Natsu said as he pulled her into him and held her close.

"Oh really? How are you going to do that?" she asked.

"Easy. I'm gonna marry ya," he smirked, "that way you can write 'and the Demon and the Princess lived happily ever after. The End.'"

"I like that."

"Good. I do, too." He laced his hand into hers and walked out of the room, the two of them never looking back.


End file.
